All About The Joy
All About The Joy is a weekly hang-out with friends in the neighborhood! We share insight, advice, funny-isms and we choose to always try and find the positive, the silver lining, the "light" in all of it. AATJ comes from the simple concept that at the end of the day we all want to have more JOY than not. So, this is a cool place to unwind, have a laugh and share some time with friends!
All About The Joy
Outrage Is Easy. Accountability Isn’t.
Outrage is easy. Accountability is harder. We open with the relief of weekly check-ins and step straight into the hard question: how did a country that once sold hope end up normalizing personality cults and cruelty? We revisit the Obama years with clear eyes—real progress, unrealistic projections—and use that lens to examine why blind loyalty now replaces policy debate, and why standards erode when leaders become untouchable brands.
From there we tackle the news that won’t sit still. A pre-dawn seizure of Venezuela’s leader gets placed in the long arc of U.S. interventionism and resource politics. Then we unpack the jaw-dropping talk of “taking” Greenland, the NATO tripwire that implies, and how a recycled Cold War decree in Denmark morphed into viral disinformation. The throughline is speed and spin: headlines move faster than our ability to process them, unless we slow down, check primary sources, and refuse the fog.
The conversation turns deeply human with the killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis. We talk about what it means when policy authorizes street-level dehumanization, why masking signals moral bankruptcy, and how online “unmasking” reveals power’s brittleness. Courage becomes our pivot: not just protest courage, but the courage of people with real platforms—politicians, executives, artists—to risk convenience for principle. We shout out watchdogs and litigators holding the line on voting rights, and we share concrete information hygiene: ProPublica, The Intercept, Democracy Docket, The Bulwark, plus a habit of double-checking claims and reading original documents.
We close by defending sustainable joy. Comfort TV and small rituals aren’t escapism; they’re how we keep going without surrendering empathy or attention. If you’ve been feeling furious and fatigued at once, this conversation offers a map: hold leaders to standards, verify before you amplify, and protect enough joy to keep showing up. If it resonates, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review with one takeaway you’ll act on this week.
Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.
Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth
DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.
Hey everyone. Welcome to All About the Joy. This is Culture and Consequence with Carmen and Andrea. Okay, we can start now. I'm ready now, Andrea. Hi.
Andrea:Oh, I'm also in a really bad mood. So this should be fun.
Carmen Lezeth:You know what? Look at look at at the very least, you know what I love that's happened? I know like it's kind of hard, but in a way that's happened, I feel like I love that we're talking weekly because sometimes we've gone a few weeks not talking, and then we spend like three hours on the phone. And I kind of hate that.
Andrea:So yeah, I know what I was just thinking about that this morning because I was like, oh my God, it's been like three weeks since we talked because it was the holidays were both on Thursdays. And I was like, it's so nice to talk on a regular basis because that was one of the things that always used to trip me up. I'm like, I haven't talked to her in a while, so I need to have like a half day to catch up. You know what I mean?
Carmen Lezeth:And I don't know if that's something exclusive to me, but all my friends, that's kind of what ends up happening. I love that with everybody. Yeah, okay, so it is something that just kind of happens. And then you end up, like I know with Mia, it's also the same thing. It's like we have to schedule, and you know, for her, because she has the three kids and they're all young, it's like a four-hour chunk of time. And sometimes I'm like, can we just do five minutes? Like I'm actually good after 30 things. I'm good. I just need the update. No, it's it's but I but I miss you guys. So I was thinking about that. Like, I like that we do do this. I think what I'm sad about is that the news is so bad.
Andrea:Everything all the time every day. Yeah. I was thinking about this last night, you know, because you'd sent me the email, and you're like, you know, we've lost our moral code, and you know, and I was thinking like, what's happened to people? And I was reflecting, really. I mean, I could go back forever, but I was like, okay, this century has been a fucking nightmare from the very beginning. We literally started off with a stolen election. Oh my god, that's less than a year later, we've got 9-11. Then we're with the fake WMDs in Iraq. Then, you know, and half the stuff I don't even remember, right? Uh, you know, the torture in Abu Ghraib, like the financial melt. I mean, just it's all of this. This has been a relentless shit show that was like a brief moment of hope, I feel like. You're talking about we all felt like, okay, all right. We can breathe, and we've turned a page and all of this, and it's still turned into shit. And then since what 2015, when he came down the elevator, it's been, you know, a decade of absolute fucking horror.
Carmen Lezeth:I say the same thing, elevator, but it's actually an escalator. Whatever the fuck. Whatever the fuck. When he fucking showed up on the scene. Yeah, it's um, I think the thing about the Obama years was, and and I hate to be so cliche, but there was hope. Like even if you didn't vote for it, that was the tagline.
Andrea:It was like, oh hope, you know, we all were like, oh, okay, finally, we were realizing this potential that we have. This, you know, we're actually maybe starting to live our you know, stated values in some way.
Carmen Lezeth:Right. And just to be clear, and I know I'm gonna get some backlash on this. When Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were running against each other in the primary, you and I were both staunch Hillary Clinton people. We were like, we're and and I mean, I love Barack Obama, and I'm glad. I think for me, and I think for you too, but I don't want to speak on your behalf. But for me, there was just the idea that if we had a black man in office, he'd be killed. Like that's what it kept me from, and also just the experience. Like both of them kind of pretty much believed in the same exact thing, but she had more experience, you know.
Andrea:Um yeah, I think I I would that that was kind of where where my head was at when I made that boat. Uh and I also felt like um I, you know, like we just didn't know him that well, to be honest. You know, I mean, he was exciting and all of those things, but we just didn't really know that much about him and what what his real policies were gonna be, and you know, those kinds of things. So that's kind of he was great, so we're good, we're good. But I mean, you know, we had our issues. He was a little too center for me, and I know why. I understand it. I know, I know we'll never be happy.
Carmen Lezeth:No, I won't be happy, never.
Andrea:But also, if he was too center for you, he was he was. Um if you remember, I was really troubled by a lot of the feeling of like people really put like a savior complex around him. Oh, he was like the coming messiah. Yeah, and it was like he's he's never gonna, you know, even if he did all of the things, he would never live up to that. Again, he's the first black president, so he's gonna have to like, you know, keep it in check.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, here's the thing, he couldn't live up to it because, first of all, everybody, this country, I fucking I'm so disappointed in this country. But remember, he was in office like eight days, and everybody's like, hey, you said you were gonna do A, B, C, and D. And I remember being so angry with people, especially the LGBTQ community back then it was LGBT, because they were like, he said he was gonna do it. And I'm like, dude, it's been like two months, bring it down a notch. And then black folk were upset because he wasn't being black enough. Yeah. Like, what do you want him to do?
Andrea:And it turns out he was never gonna be that guy, even you know, even if he like what does that mean? Well, I know.
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, it's like bullshit. You know what I mean? He is who he is, and right, but look at the reason why I bring it up is because you know, people think those of us who are huge fans of Barack Obama, um, that we've always been in the we no, like that's the thing about politics that's problematic right now is there is a cult-like way in which people behave about Donald Trump that is abnormal. If Barack Obama did something wrong and he did plenty of things that we did not agree with, we called him out on it. I wasn't walking around with a Barack Obama t-shirt or hat or flag or do you know what I mean? And that's painted on the hood of my car.
Andrea:Face painted or yeah, just a Obama flag hanging over my house. I mean, like, what is going on?
Carmen Lezeth:And that's where I think we've really lost our fucking way. It is like they are the people that we are putting into office to represent us, the people, not themselves. They're not supposed to be there to enrich themselves, they're not supposed to be there to make money for themselves and their friends and to hide from being accountable to the wrongs that they've done. Like Bill Clinton, fuck you. You got impeached because you I don't want to bring up the whole Monica Lewinsky thing, but I just did. You know what I mean? Like, and we were like, yes, yes, that's right, you fucking piece of shit, you know? And to this day, that young woman, well, I don't know if she's young, but I don't know how old she is now, but you know, she had to live, she paid the price for that. What a nightmare for her. What a nightmare, and she's bullying, yeah, and she's by all accounts just a remarkable person, and talk and dealing, you know, talking about being, you know, bullying, and she has this whole I mean, I don't follow her or whatever, but I'm just so proud of her, and I feel so bad because she paid the price for and he did not to a certain extent. But what I'm trying to say is when Democrats do wrong, we don't stand by them. I don't know. Yeah, it's a it's a bad day. It's a bad time to be an American. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Um well, yeah. Let's talk about what's in the news just quickly. Yeah. Um I'm I'm I'm gonna get to the ice agent afterwards, but I just want to talk about Venezuela very quickly. Um, everyone's, you know, here's the other thing about the Trump administration. It it just seems like every day there's a huge thing to talk about, and then two minutes later something else comes in. So you can't even fully digest what has just happened. You know what I mean? So let me just, I'm gonna read this because I I uh let me just read it. Venezuela has been in a long economic and political collapse, and things escalated dramatically when the US forces carried out a pre-dawn strike in Caracas and captured. Captured's probably not the best word, but yeah, I'm I'm trying to be as objective as possible. Um let me see. Pre-dawn strike in Caracas and captured President Nicholas Maduro, who was then taken to New York to face federal narco trafficking, trafficking charges. His vice president Delcy Rodriguez has stepped in as interim leader while the UN warns the crisis has deepened, an already severe humanitarian emergency marked by years of hyperinflation, mass displacement, and failing infrastructure. The US says it's pressuring the new leadership to cooperate, and the situation remains volatile as the country faces both political upheaval. I'm sorry, upheaval, not a word I would use, and ongoing humanitarian need. Thoughts? You don't have to have any.
Andrea:Okay, I have thoughts. I got I you know what it's fine.
Carmen Lezeth:We can move on to the next thing.
Andrea:I feel the same way today. I do want to say something, and it's not gonna be helpful, and it almost doesn't matter, but like we've been doing this kind of thing forever. Yes, we have been. Yes. Um we have not been broadcasting our racist and you know, call uh colonizer thoughts about it on X and having X on the screen while we do it, um, which is new for us, I guess. Um, you know, usually these things are planned out in a dark little room somewhere in the Pentagon or CIA headquarters in Langley or something like that. But um I don't know. It's uh I always have trouble with the like this is not who we are, it's exactly who we are.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, you can just even go back to 9-11 and how we went into the wrong country.
Andrea:Well, and the like I was thinking like remember after 9-11, why do they hate us? Because we're fucking assholes, yeah, we're bullies, and we've been doing this. I actually looked it up in preparation for this a couple of days ago. We have been doing this kind of thing since the early 1800s, yep, all along. Talk to Hawaii, talk to Guam, talk to Puerto Rico, I mean, Iran.
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, we've been doing this for we don't but but we don't know our history because yeah, because we're Americans. I had a great conversation um that's gonna air on Sunday with my friend Scott, who lives in Spain, and you know, he's an American who's lived in Spain for 30 years, and we touch a little bit on what it feels like to be an American living in another country. Yeah, um, and it's never been good. And he's like, but it's worse now.
Andrea:I'm like, oh my God, they hate us, man. They do. Yeah, they do.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, because we think we're better than everyone else in the in the world, and we're not. Um, we we have no ability to have compassion or understanding of how nuanced things are, and we're very self-absorbed as a nation. Um, and we always happen.
Andrea:Reflection, no self-reflection where you, you know, the kind of thing that you would want in a person you have a relationship with where it's like, oh, did I do something wrong here? Let me look at that, let me see if I can do better. Like, there's none of that happening.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, Andrew, we can't even do that in our own, like, you know, people get all upset talking about you know, civil rights or talking about the civil war. Okay, like, and there's still people arguing this case that somehow Robert E. Lee was a hero. Like, there's still this kind of weird conversation that we can't be honest about what our own history is, you know, and it's because we don't know it, and it's because we, you're right. I like that analogy of like it's like being in a relationship and being in complete denial that you have anything to do with the wrongs that have happened, and then being confused why you still don't love me. So, how do you not see how great I am?
Andrea:I'm great. We're all agreeing on that, aren't we?
Carmen Lezeth:Right. And it's to me, it's a little bit sad, and I know you probably won't agree with this, but I feel like the United States has so much potential, and now I realize like I it's just being it's just thrown under the bus. Like it's just every day we lose, I lose more and more hope that any idea of who we can be is just even a possibility anymore.
Andrea:Well, yeah, I don't disagree with that at all. Yes, there's a ton of potential, and there always has been. We I'm reluctant to say we because but it is whatever, you know, like we just don't allow full participation in that potential, and we never have from the very beginning. Literally, the people who we revere as our founding fathers owned fucking people. You know, I'm sorry, like where do we even go from there?
Carmen Lezeth:George Washington, the father of our country, like uh has children from people he raped, right? Isn't that well? That's Thomas Jefferson, George Jefferson was the slave owner, but you know, all them white men look the same to me, you know what I mean? I get confused and shit.
Andrea:Fucking curly wigs. I mean, those are the people we have the statues to, and we've named our states after, and all of you know, and it's like these were fucking slave owners. They all think though, and I'm not here to talk on behalf of all white people.
Carmen Lezeth:Um please do. No, because I I I think what ends up happening is people want to turn around and be like, but that was a different time. No, again, it goes back to that thing about a relationship. I love what you said because that's a great way to look at it. It doesn't matter how far back it happened, if there's a something between me and Andrea in our friendship that is not correct, we need to have the conversation and we need to own up to whatever our participation was in it. It's not gonna be okay, you know. Um, it's just weird.
Andrea:And there were people you don't hear about them very much, but there were people back then who recognized it's a fucking abomination. Yeah. Like this is not okay. And they said it and they were sidelined.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, for sure.
Andrea:So it's not like they didn't know.
Carmen Lezeth:No, and and I think it's so weird, we'd be a much better country if we admitted it, but I think a lot of this also has to do with capitalism because it's always about money and profit. And like if we have to be honest about the truth of who we are as a nation, it changes the dynamic and it makes people force themselves to admit that there were wrongs made, and that means changing the entire structure of how our economy works. And people don't want to lose that money, they don't want to play that game with money because they don't want to lose power. It's so intricate.
Andrea:Yeah, 100%. And I don't think people this is the most depressing conversation ever. I just don't think that you really see a way that's different, right? Like this is all we really in Western society have known for hundreds of years now. We don't know what it would look like to be different, you know what I mean? And you can't, it's really hard to um you know move toward a vision of something that's so different when you it's like so intangible. You can't you don't even understand what it could be. You know, it's either capitalism or communism.
Carmen Lezeth:Like those either either of those two, and yet there were these little moments, these pearls, right? We talk about Barack Obama being elected, which still feels like the weirdest fluke ever, you know. But now they're doing everything they can to suppress that vote so that people cannot come out in drills, right? Now they're talking about not letting you vote by mail, you know, and of course the whole voting by ID. And the weird thing is, is it's not that the people who are powerful are pushing this stuff out. It's that the common people, us, the regular folk who keep supporting the bullshittery that you think somebody who's making, you know, $20 an hour is actually your enemy and the problem. Not the bigwigs who are trying to say you cannot vote or your neighbor cannot vote unless they do A, B, C, and D. It's pretty amazing. Yeah.
Andrea:It's a pretty classic, like, you know, authoritarian control technique. Yeah. Right. Right.
Carmen Lezeth:All right. Let's just I just want to make sure we get everything in for the news for today. Just okay, I'm gonna talk about Denmark for a moment because I think that's an important thing. Um, and actually, I'm gonna tie this into something else. Um, everybody knows, I assume, you know, please do not come here for news. This is really commentary and opinion, but everyone knows that for God knows what reason, I'm confused still what the reason is that um Donald Trump wants to take Denmark, Greenland. He wants to take Greenland. And someone was trying to say today, I was watching, and they were like, this is not new. This is something, bitch, it's new. It's new to me. I've never heard this shit. Stop fucking normalizing the bullshittery that is Donald Trump.
Andrea:Nobody else has ever said anything about taking Greenland. That's right.
Carmen Lezeth:That's right. So um here's what I want to say, and I think this is I think this is really, really bad. So let me just show you what the recent comments from the White House have stated that using the US military to take Greenland is always an option for achieving American objectives, which has alarmed Denmark and its European allies. In response, Denmark's leaders have stressed both that Greenland is not for sale and that aggressive action against Greenland would have severe political and alliance consequences, including warnings from the Danish Prime Minister that any U.S. attack on a NATO allied territory could effectively end NATO. I know. I just I need to put it out there because it's what's happening today. And I want people to understand how important it is that we do not forget all the other stories. And we're still waiting for the Epstein files. So we're still waiting for the rest of the Epstein files, which can't even believe that's a thing. Um oh, the other reason why I wanted to bring up the Denmark thing. Wait, what do you want to say something? I feel like you're stressed. No, no, no. Go ahead. Go ahead. At the end of this broadcast, I'm gonna talk about some of the places that I listen to because now I'm just gonna share the places I listen to, even though they tend to be more um in the middle and to the left. Uh, but I am, I think it's time to start sharing that information because I think people keep, I keep listening to people talking out their ass because they're listening to Fox News. And the reason why I know is because I watch Fox fucking news for about 20 minutes a day that I can stand it. But um there's this thing that everyone is saying that Denmark came out and talked about how if um if the US tries to invade Denmark, that they're going to shoot first and ask questions later. And I'm like, that does not sound like Denmark. Let me do my research. And I love this kid, Aaron Parness. I follow him and I think he's really good, but he actually said it today too. And I was like, see, this is why you have to double check your sources. You have to double double triple check. So let me just say what Denmark actually is saying. Um, Danish officials and media have recently highlighted that an old rule is still in force, a 1952 royal decree that authorizes Danish forces to immediately use lethal force against any invasion of Greenland without waiting for higher orders. This decree predates the current tensions and was originally adopted during the Cold War, but the defense ministry has confirmed it remains valid today. So that changes, like as if they're like threatening, come on now. So I just want to throw that out there, but go ahead.
Andrea:Yeah, I mean, I don't really know what to say about this. Like everything, like in what world um do we do people feel like it's a good idea to effectively attack an ally? And for what exactly I mean, I know for what there's, you know, uh, I think there's precious minerals and there's like, you know, like money. Yeah, right. There's a there's a base there already. And also, like he's is he's essentially friends or you know, whatever we want to call it, allies with Putin. So why are you worried about what Russia might do? You're gonna do whatever the fuck they tell you to anyway, as you always do, you little fucking stupid piece of shit. So like how do you really feel? I just am like, what is this about? And we know what it's about, right? It's money. Uh like I had read, and I did not check the sources, it was literally a headline. So I'm okay.
Carmen Lezeth:I'll look it up and put it in the bottom.
Andrea:Um, that the money that we're theoretically going to get from the Venezuelan oil is not actually coming to the United States. Uh but it will be which would I don't agree with anyway, right? It's just not it's not ours, right? But it's gonna be parceled out to various like private entities. So same with Greenland, I assume.
Carmen Lezeth:Look at this is all about, I don't if you're a Trump supporter still, I don't even, I don't, you're ridiculous. There's nothing I can say to you that is going to make you understand anything different because if you are still trying to find excuses or explanations, you're you're just in a cult. I can't say it any differently. You're in a fucking cult. Yeah, but yeah, this is all about money, this is all about enriching himself and his friends, and he's using he does not care about any of these people.
Andrea:Uh no. Beyond, you know, will they stand there and clap and cheer for me? That's all. Oh, you're talking about his supporters. Yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, well, he's never cared about them. Well, I don't know. I don't know how they don't see, I don't know how they don't see things that he has said while he was, you know, campaigning, like, you know, I love the uneducated. I guess because they think he's talking, like, who does he think they're talking about?
Andrea:Talk about other people. They're so uneducated, they don't understand he's talking about you.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, you're right. That is what it is. They don't even like I didn't, I'm like, how do you not know he's talking about you, right? But you're right. That's stupid.
Andrea:Or they're wealthy or trying to be. Right.
Carmen Lezeth:Where? Well, look at my angst. I've said this since day motherfucking one when that man came down the elevator escalator, where the fuck it is. I was not even mad at him. I said it last time we were on the show. I am mad at all the people who know better. All the fucking Republicans. I saw a meme the other day, and usually I don't laugh at this stuff because I try to have compassion, but it was a picture of Donald Trump and Lindsey Graham, and it said Donald Trump does have a dog. There is a dog in the White House or something. I was like, that is so horrible. And yet, this is the whole lap dog thing. Like, I don't understand how any of these people, and more so, I get more upset with the people who had a little bit of power, like the Romneys and the Paul Ryans and the whatever. And what did they do? What did they do? Tuck their tail between their legs and ran out of office, ran out of Congress and stayed in the in the weeds so that they don't get affected at all. And they play that little balancing act game. You know what I mean? Where they don't say anything really bad about him until it's really, really bad. And then they can only somebody like George Bush, George W. Bush, has not come out to say fucking anything. And never will. And never will. And Nicole Wallace on MSNBC, who used to work for him, at one point was like, We need you to come out. We need you. I would never say to the and I was like, he ain't coming out. I'm sure Michelle Obama, who somehow is best friends with him or whatever, you know what I mean? They're buddies, has said to him, You need to come out or whatever. And he doesn't come on now. I'm just saying.
Andrea:He was never gonna be the guy. I know. I know. I mean, it's we've said it, but like the the amount of cowardice is stunning. I mean, maybe I shouldn't be stunned, but no, it's that's the reality, you know, it's like cowards. I saw something, this is a few weeks ago. It was not exactly the in a political context, but it really, really resonated with me about how um, you know, men are essentially like um I can't think of the word right now, but you know, they're all they all are just into being like subjugated, right? You think about the military, and I was with this, I was on this too. I mean, like I talked to a friend of mine who works with a lot of people in the military, and I was like, why aren't they coming out? Like, what where is the bravery? He's like, that's not who they are. Well, the military are not, yeah. They are people who follow orders, yeah. Like that's what they do. They are not brave in the sense that they will take a stand. They are brave in that they will be ordered to go and be first in line to get shot and they'll go do it. You know what I mean? Like in that way, but they're not gonna be brave and come and you know, uh stand up and say something and go against their commanding officer or something like that.
Carmen Lezeth:That's what I was gonna say. I I think I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off, but I just want to say I don't you're right, but the problem is and somebody who's a sergeant or somebody who is of a quote unquote lower rank doesn't have that much power. They really are just soldiers. You know what I mean? I'm more upset with like police officers in Santa Monica who are like, oh yeah, no, we're not helping immigration, but we ain't doing nothing to help you either. We're just here to, I don't know, stand here? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like that, I I know what you're saying. Where are the military? I'm where the admirals, the generals, that's what I'm more concerned about, the officers, where them they're 20, 30 years into taking orders.
Andrea:Like that's not who they are, but I'm talking about regular people, men in general. Well, men, we're going back to men, I'm sorry. Men in general are very accustomed to doing what they're told. You're talking about men in Congress? Uh yeah, I'm talking about men who we would expect and hope to be braver, more courageous. The alpha males, right? The alpha males who will go and talk a good game, but actually can't and won't stand up for anything that you know that actually matters in terms of care and you know, morals and ethics and those kinds of things. You're talking about George W.
Carmen Lezeth:Bush, Paul Ryan, all of those, all of them, and all the current people in Congress, too, all the men. Yeah. Any of those guys. I'm surprised at how little courage we see everywhere. You know, um, I don't see a lot of courage in. I mean, I see courage in people who are protesting, and I see courage in smaller packs, but I'm waiting for the big people to come out and say something. Like, I know this sounds weird, but you know, um, what's that young woman's name? She's a musician. Oh my God, I'm gonna get so fucking hated for this. Um, she just came out and she said nobody should be a billionaire, and she donated like $25 million to some cause. Oh shit, I'm gonna get in so much focus. I'm gonna delete all of this. Oh, oh, I can't remember her name. I think your daughter loves her. It's not Taylor Swift's, right? Not Taylor Swift. Um, but then there's a good example of somebody who should be using their voice even more, or Oprah, or Mark Cuban, or whatever. I know they're doing their little bit, like, where is the big courage? Okay, I need to find out who this person is. I'm gonna put it at the bottom and everyone's gonna make fun. I'm embarrassed that I can't remember her name. Um, she's won like five or six Oscars. I mean, she's won like a couple Oscars and a lot of Grammys. Billie Eilas? Yes, Billy Isles. Billie Eilis. Here is somebody with power, and she came out and did her part, I think, in a monumental way, not being asked, not saying a word, you know, and she was just like, there should be no billionaires, and I'm gonna give this money. Why aren't you giving this money? And she was, and I thought, like, see, that's something that is courageous. That is something that matters. You know, she wasn't trying to be like these other people who use their donations to show how great they are, right? She was like, basically, bitch, if you got the money, give the money to help some people. Yeah, you know, and that's courageous because that could hurt her. And and she was like, I don't care. I mean, hurt her. You know what I mean? It can go against her career. Yeah, so yeah. Oh my god, Billie Eilish. I'm so sorry. I thought your daughter loved her. Somebody's daughter loves her. I forget who it is. I mean, she's fine, but they don't she's fine. Okay, it's a different, it's one of my other nieces. Okay, I want to talk about what happened with uh I can't even okay. This is the last thing I'm gonna talk about. Okay, so Renee Nicole Good is the name of the woman who was killed by ICE agents, an ICE agent yesterday in Minneapolis. She was 37 years old. She, you know what? I'm not gonna say this, but on this list it says what her status is as a person in this country. And I'm so sick and tired of fucking valuing people better or worse because they fucking weren't born here or were, you know what I mean? Like, what is this? Like now that's what we have to do is announce that we're U.S. citizens. She was described as a poet and an amazing human being by her family. She's the mother of three. Um, she lived with her partner in the Twin Cities, just blocks from where she was killed. Um, her mother, Donna, uh, I think it's Granger, Granger, I don't know how to say her last name, confirmed her identity and said Renee was probably terrified in the moment. So I just yeah. Thoughts? What was my number one? You you probably haven't seen it, but I did a top 20 list of things not to do in 2026. My number one was don't be a nice agent. That was my number one. Don't be an ice agent. But go ahead.
Andrea:Well, yeah, there are specific reasons why people choose to do that. And it's one my I would say top three is because they want to use their guns and money, right? Money is probably the first one here. Um, I don't know. It's horrific, and it's the uh an obvious results of what they're doing in cities around the country. You know, she's not the first person they've killed. She's not the first person. You're right. Oh, there was someone uh killed right over here in I think Camarillo uh a few months ago. Yep. Um she won't be the last, I don't think.
Carmen Lezeth:Nope.
Andrea:Unfortunately. Um I I I don't I know. Yeah, I don't even know what to say. ICE needs to be destroyed, all of these people need to be prosecuted. Uh DHS, frankly, in my mind, needs to be completely demolished in every possible way. Like that's my that's my starting point. Horrific, and this is this is what we're doing now as a country. We're murdering people in the streets for no reason.
Carmen Lezeth:And I love that people keep the people again, the supporters, the crazy supporters of Donald Trump. And and you know, even like Christine Gnome coming out and just talking out her ass like five minutes after it happened, just tells you how we've just lost our norms. Like no actual professional person, especially when you haven't been on the scene, you don't even know what actually happened. There's no investigation, comes out and says what she said. I was like, that's how you know we've lost our fucking way. Like any professional poor citizen would have been like, you know what, there's gonna be an investigation. I'm so sorry to uh all the family members that you know, whatever. You say something of, but we don't have that kind of elegance or manners or compassion or ability in this administration. They are just they are cruel. They're like internet trolls come to life.
Andrea:That's what they are. I'm sorry, say that again. I said they're like internet trolls come to life for sure. Just let me say and do the most vile, evil, memeable bullshit possible immediately. Let me be the first to the punch.
Carmen Lezeth:And you know, I I'm just so sad about the fact that we're even here. Somebody was being interviewed. I wish I had caught their name. I didn't. They were being interviewed on one of the cable stations, and they kept saying, You're a border patrol officer, go to the border. Like, why are you here? And I was like, that's again, ICE agents, why are you here? And I like in the big picture thing, we've never had this conversation with ice agents who are patrolling the streets and in masks, and and they've already unmasked that motherfucker. Like, if you think your mask is protecting you, like that the internet is fucking a small community and they've already found that motherfucker. I was laughing at that shit. I mean, I am not promoting any harm to go to anyone, but I'm just saying that's the whole point of the whole mask. I'm sorry. I said I'd be all right if they ruined his life. You know what? I'm I'm just saying, don't be a nice. I you know what, when I talk about courage, like when you were just talking about courage and you're talking about the military personnel, this is what I'm trying to say. Have the courage not to do something that you know is wrong. Like, why are you signing up for money to harm people in your community? Because they don't care. I think they still care.
Andrea:I don't think they do. I mean, yes, they they are masking themselves because they don't want to be, you know, associated or seen or contribution, they don't want you know, people coming showing up at their house. They maybe don't want other people to do that. But then that means you know. I know, but they don't care. I that's what they do care. You can't possibly care and still go out and do it.
Carmen Lezeth:I actually disagree. I think they're doing it. You know what? We don't know because we don't know who they all are, but we will know because SS officers were known eventually. I'm just saying. I'm just throwing that out there. Okay, I'm sorry. Did that offend you?
Andrea:No, not at all. I mean, this is like it's just they all think that they will have a lifetime of immunity, and nope, yes, you have power now. Unfortunately, it's true. You have power now, that will not always be the case. Again, read a motherfucking book, okay? That's not the way it works. At some point, power will change hands. And uh I gotta tell you, whoever it is, better motherfucking say that they are prosecuting and not turning the page. Because this is fucking crazy. And we we should absolutely know who all of these people are. We're gonna know. I have that I have no doubt. In polite society, regular society, maybe we're not polite anymore, but they should not be able to live a normal life amongst the rest of us.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, no, I am positive that Ice Agents will know. I mean, we will know who they are because that I I just that one I don't even feel bad about. We will know who all of them are, and um and and this happened instantaneously. The minute this uh killing happened, I think it was like an hour, and they had already unmasked him, they already had his license plate, and I'm like, that's the power of social media, right? There's the bad part, and then here's the other part. And I just think like if you have to do a job where you have to mask yourself up, I'm just throwing that out there. That should tell you something. You're doing something wrong, you know.
Andrea:So it's like I've I compare it to Scooby-Doo, right? I used to watch a lot of Scooby-Doo when I was a kid, and at the end of the show, Scooby and the gang unmask the bad guy every fucking time. Who has the mask on? It ain't Scooby, it ain't Shaggy, it ain't Velma. Right. It's the bad guy.
Carmen Lezeth:Always, yeah, that's a good point. I just it just breaks my heart, you know. It breaks my heart the the amount of hatred we have for people. human beings and that you would even want to do a job that's taking people and putting them in these horrible conditions. It's just a weird, you know what I mean? It's like I don't understand the psychological person you need to be to try to compartmentalize that bullshittery. You know, there are ice agents who are seen, right? Because they're being captured of course on TikTok and YouTube shorts or whatever and um and Instagram and and people are filming them and they're like are you an American? You have an accent. You have an accent. So maybe you're not an American and like the person's like what are you doing? Like we're going after accents now? Like in my head I'm like I have a Boston accent. Does that work?
Andrea:I don't know.
Carmen Lezeth:Like it's just you're an idiot if you think that is doing something honorable. It just you're a fool if you think the work of an ICE agent is honorable. It is not you know it is not. So um so before we move on to whatever other thing you want to talk about I'm in such a bad mood but I do want to share some places that I do pay attention to. I think one of the most important things we need to remember as people who care and love this country is they want us to be apathetic. They want us to be tired. They want us to not engage they want us to not be um useful in any way shape or form because what what they want is all of us to do what they want us to do. And that's the way you do it. Get us apathetic get exhausted I'm sorry what they want compliance compliance. Right. And that's how it starts. So don't be compliant I think one of the most important things you can do is stay informed. This is my list not Andrea's list so I didn't talk to her about this so places that I use to stay informed is ProPublica which is a nonprofit right.org it's really good. Now this is much more left leaning but if you want to know what's going on as far as protesting or whatever you can be with indivisible.org I love them. MidasTouch is the largest independent kind of news journalistic they're a little dramatic for me. Like every day you're gonna get an email that says you know that's the most important alert ever but they do a really good job of getting information out there but they are a lot more left leaning so it's Midas Touch. I do love some of these young kids like Aaron Parness and all these kids that have come from TikTok or whatever. And if you know who Aaron Parness is you know who his father is. And he used to be part of the Trump administration I think and anyways but I double I double and triple check everybody. So that's how I caught him saying something that I think was a little bit over the top and that's how I got this information on Denmark. You know what I mean? So again we need to be better stewards of all the information we have coming at us by using all the tools available to us to double and triple check stuff. Because the problem isn't technology the problem is we're fucking lazy motherfuckers. So do your due diligence you know what I mean um I do have a couple more podsave America is one of my favorite podcasts um I love um John Farvor it's not the director it's uh he used to be Obama's speech writer and he's one of the co-hosts um and then my favorite person right now and has been for a long time is Mark Elias it's Democracy Docket. He has been fighting lawsuits over and over and over again with the Trump administration since day one and he is a huge advocate for voting rights in this country but he also touches on a lot of other things. So those that's just I just wanted to share those because I've I realize now that I don't really share who I recommend and I'm like you know what I'm gonna do it now. Not that you have to follow these people but you should have a wealth of different I also listen to the bulwark which is more conservative um but yeah thought I would share that.
Andrea:So yeah um I would say I also follow ProPublica I think they're great investigative journalists. They go really deep on some of the stories the Intercept is another one these are left leaning oh yeah the intercept too the intercept is another one that does really good deep investigations um I and I 100% agree yes follow some of these people you know take a look at some of them always always always check the sources though yeah you know don't just take like I tend to focus primarily on you know left leaning media but I also will catch something like you did and be like that sounds you know and I'm like I need to go and check the original source for myself because I think we've talked about this before you're always getting a filter of some kind. Yeah you know and there are certain filters you're okay with certain filters maybe you're not but you should still be using your critical thinking to determine like okay maybe I generally agree but that's not how I would take this particular thing because I've now looked at the original source.
Carmen Lezeth:And and I, you know people get upset with me because I always say this about objective journalism. It never existed yeah I'm sorry I I you know Walter Cronkite may you rest in peace you know Peter Jennings Tom Brokaw whatever you can go Tim uh was it Tim Russert he was probably one of the top ones when he did meet the press whatever um you can go back and this whole idea of objective journalism it was a great marketing tool and let me just tell you nobody agrees with me on this I mean maybe you do but every we're human beings we're human beings we come to the table with information already and a bias in our head the best you can do is also give the other side you know what I mean but this idea that you can actually give information and not have a little tinge or a little tone or a little I am pretty sure I can tell you every single newscaster from back in the day whether they were a Democrat or Republican and not be off I'm promising you. There's no doubt to me Tim Russert who was probably one of the top he was he was a Democrat.
Andrea:I'm not even confused by that you know what I mean like so yeah I agree with you I mean I think that there's um you know that was more of an attempt at objectivity uh back in the day for sure um that doesn't mean that they met that bar and I think even they would admit that yeah you know at the time so you know now it's there's not even you're not even really trying well it's not even I mean it's entertainment and news and you can't tell the difference and it's not even you know like that's where the the bar is whatever entertainment I'm not sure yeah yeah all right well we've spent way too much time today but I guess it was important enough I don't know I know I I wanted to get a little flavor we have a few minutes um what's your update on Hallmark have you seen it I was like it's so weird I know I know but I'm just you know I gotta say like I am very like season specific with it like I think I watched one or two after Christmas and it was more just like a decompression type of thing because Christmas was just super intense um and now I'm done I'm done and I'll wow so there will be no more in November right there will be no more well no no no you don't understand hallmark starts their Christmas stories in July I will welcome it back in November and you're not really a Hallmark watcher no I'm just getting yeah like I'm not one of the you know like you go into whatever like the hardware stores in like you know September and they've already got like Christmas done I'm like no no yeah well all right well we'll see what it what's in store in the future that'll be more fun that is surprising from Andrea but maybe like do they shoot them at this time of year they must right because it's snowy and whatnot.
Carmen Lezeth:So I don't know maybe I still want you to see my favorite one with Lauren Christie. I still want you to see my favorite one and I don't think it's gonna be on now for a while. I don't know why it's so weird right because they keep repeating the same bullshit ones over and over and over again and then they didn't show that one so the one with the the glass one was on so many times that terrible one glass one. No we talked about it it was he was like a glass blower and oh yeah oh god I was like turn it on everyone so I'm like oh my god why are you showing this again yeah and as much as I I love like the golden girls and I love murder she wrote or whatever I I don't want to like because there's the time difference right so like if I come home and I'm like let me put it on now that's what's on and I'm like yeah I'm not watching that. You know what I mean? Like so I need another comfort show and they fucked up 911 which I know you've never watched 911 but it was with Angela Bassett and Peter Krause and I can't even talk about it anymore. But we're well I'm not gonna get I I don't think that's your jam but we'll figure something else out so that we can still end on joy like I yeah I have a couple of shows that I had kind of like I had been watching and I had put them off for Hallmark season.
Andrea:Oh my God. Wait what shows are you gonna watch? Is there something you're gonna watch?
Carmen Lezeth:Well yeah I mean they're like my typical you know sort of spy crime type of stuff right now you know what would be great just as a thought just as I just want to put this in there maybe in the next year you could watch it it'd be great to have a conversation with you about ET. Just never happening never gonna happen okay all right I tried all right everyone well okay I'm gonna try I'm gonna try everyone thank you so much for hanging out uh please check out all about the joy.com uh check out our show on Friday night and on Sunday and remember at the end of the day it really is all about the joy thank you everyone bye bye thanks for stopping by All About the Joy. Be better and stay beautiful folks have a sweet day
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
